British Bobsleigh Association
British pair fail to buck trend
22 February 2006
By Andrew Baker in Turin
Taken from www.telegraph.co.uk
Back in the days when bobsleighs resembled iron bedsteads, had steering wheels the size of a generous pizza, and were crewed by five men with double-barrelled names, the British were pretty handy at the sport.
We have had moments of glory since things became more hi-tech. Tony Nash and Robin Dixon famously took gold in Innsbruck in 1964, and Sean Olsson added a bronze in Nagano in 1998.
But sadly, Nicola Minichiello and Jackie Davies were unable to record a first British bobsleigh success of the current century. Last night, at Cesana Pariol, they could only finish ninth, the promise of their lightning-fast second-run not built upon in the third and fourth heats. The result was all the more disappointing as this was their last appearance as a partnership, with Davies, currently a brakeman, aiming to become a driver.
That near-faultless second run has to be seen as a bit of a flash-in-the-pan, for although Minichiello and Davies have performed superbly in the past, most notably coming second in last year's World Championships, their form here in Italy has left them consistently near the bottom of the top 10.
Yesterday's winners were the Germany 1 pair of Sandra Kiriasis and Anja Schneiderheinze, who never looked in serious danger. The silver medal went to the USA 1 team of Shauna Rohbock and Valerie Fleming, while the local heroines, Gerda Weissensteiner and Jennifer Isacco took bronze for Italy. Weissensteiner is one of a large proportion of Italian medallists at these Games with a distinctly Germanic surname.
The sleds are now much sleeker than their ancient forebears, the shapes honed in wind tunnels and painted like racing cars. The American machine has swoopy lines with a black finish. The Italian sled, befitting a nation with a great cultural heritage, is more fanciful. According to its driver, Weissensteiner, "my bobsleigh is a creation of an artist. The white strip on the side represents the snow and all the little crystals around are all the supporters who follow me."
Not many followed her up the mountain to Cesana. Ticket sales at the Games have been healthy, boosted by recent special offers, but bobsleigh has been difficult to pitch to the Italians.
The facility at Cesana was built at a cost of £50 million and caters for 7,000 spectators, but fewer than half of that number were present for the women's competition.
It is not the easiest place to get to, but that applies also to Sestriere and Bardonecchia, and transport problems have not prevented vast crowds assembling for Alpine skiing and snowboard events.
Perhaps the locals have worked out that bobsleigh, while undoubtedly challenging for the competitors, is not one of the greatest spectator sports. The track looks pretty in the floodlights, but the persistent snow meant that sections of the course had to be covered. With the sleds travelling around 90 mph, the masking effect was the last thing spectators needed.
The German, American and Italian fans did not mind. The clapping during the podium ceremony was long and enthusiastic. As Shauna Rohbock pointed out, bobsleigh is not a comfortable way to make a living.
"It's like being put in a garbage can and rolled downhill," she said. "But the more you do it, the more you enjoy it."
Back in the days when bobsleighs resembled iron bedsteads, had steering wheels the size of a generous pizza, and were crewed by five men with double-barrelled names, the British were pretty handy at the sport.
We have had moments of glory since things became more hi-tech. Tony Nash and Robin Dixon famously took gold in Innsbruck in 1964, and Sean Olsson added a bronze in Nagano in 1998.
But sadly, Nicola Minichiello and Jackie Davies were unable to record a first British bobsleigh success of the current century. Last night, at Cesana Pariol, they could only finish ninth, the promise of their lightning-fast second-run not built upon in the third and fourth heats. The result was all the more disappointing as this was their last appearance as a partnership, with Davies, currently a brakeman, aiming to become a driver.
That near-faultless second run has to be seen as a bit of a flash-in-the-pan, for although Minichiello and Davies have performed superbly in the past, most notably coming second in last year's World Championships, their form here in Italy has left them consistently near the bottom of the top 10.
Yesterday's winners were the Germany 1 pair of Sandra Kiriasis and Anja Schneiderheinze, who never looked in serious danger. The silver medal went to the USA 1 team of Shauna Rohbock and Valerie Fleming, while the local heroines, Gerda Weissensteiner and Jennifer Isacco took bronze for Italy. Weissensteiner is one of a large proportion of Italian medallists at these Games with a distinctly Germanic surname.
The sleds are now much sleeker than their ancient forebears, the shapes honed in wind tunnels and painted like racing cars. The American machine has swoopy lines with a black finish. The Italian sled, befitting a nation with a great cultural heritage, is more fanciful. According to its driver, Weissensteiner, "my bobsleigh is a creation of an artist. The white strip on the side represents the snow and all the little crystals around are all the supporters who follow me."
Not many followed her up the mountain to Cesana. Ticket sales at the Games have been healthy, boosted by recent special offers, but bobsleigh has been difficult to pitch to the Italians.
The facility at Cesana was built at a cost of £50 million and caters for 7,000 spectators, but fewer than half of that number were present for the women's competition.
It is not the easiest place to get to, but that applies also to Sestriere and Bardonecchia, and transport problems have not prevented vast crowds assembling for Alpine skiing and snowboard events.
Perhaps the locals have worked out that bobsleigh, while undoubtedly challenging for the competitors, is not one of the greatest spectator sports. The track looks pretty in the floodlights, but the persistent snow meant that sections of the course had to be covered. With the sleds travelling around 90 mph, the masking effect was the last thing spectators needed.
The German, American and Italian fans did not mind. The clapping during the podium ceremony was long and enthusiastic. As Shauna Rohbock pointed out, bobsleigh is not a comfortable way to make a living.
"It's like being put in a garbage can and rolled downhill," she said. "But the more you do it, the more you enjoy it."